Académique Documents
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ReactorsunderIAEAsafeguards
Pavingthewayforimportoffuelforitsnuclearreactors,Indiawillcompletetheprocessofplacing
itscivilianreactorsunderInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)safeguardsinthenext
twodays.Thelasttworeactorsunits1and2oftheNaroraAtomicPowerStationin
BulandshaharinUttarPradeshwillcomeunderthesafeguardsoftheinternationalatomic
energybodyinthenexttwodaysandthenecessarypaperworkisunderway.
Sofar20facilitieshavebeenplacedunderIAEAsafeguards.Thesereactorsarenoweligibletouse
importeduranium.
Thisincludesunit1and2oftheTarapurAtomicPowerStation(TAPS),units1to6ofRajasthan
AtomicPowerStation,units1and2ofKudankulamNuclearPowerPlant,andunits1and2of
KakraparAtomicPowerStation.
AboutInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency
TheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)isaninternationalorganizationthatseeksto
promotethepeacefuluseofnuclearenergy,andtoinhibititsuseforanymilitarypurpose,
includingnuclearweapons.TheIAEAwasestablishedasanautonomousorganizationon29
July1957.ThoughestablishedindependentlyoftheUnitedNationsthroughitsown
internationaltreaty,theIAEAStatute,theIAEAreportstoboththeUnitedNationsGeneral
AssemblyandSecurityCouncil.
IPCCfuturenottiedtoParisClimateDeal
TheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC),theleadingUNbodyfortheassessment
ofclimatechange,iscontinuingitsworkforthebettermentofenvironment,accordingtoits
ChairmanRKPachauri.HesaidthattheIPCCwouldcontinueitswork,nomatterwhether
countriesarriveataglobalclimatedealnextyearinParisornot.Itssuccessivesciencebased
reportshadalwaysbeenkeyinputsfornegotiatorsinthepastovertwodecades.
TheIPCChadcomeoutwithitslast(fifth)assessmentreportinNovemberaheadoftheLima
climatetalks.Itisalsomostlikelytocomeoutwithitssixthassessmentreportinfuture,
bringingmorescientificinformationtothetableforpolicymakersandgeneralpubliconcauses
andimpactofclimatedamaginggreenhousegasesreleasedintotheatmosphere.
AmidspeculationoverthefutureoftheIPCConceitsubmittedits'synthesis'report,itschairmanR
KPachaurisaidhisexpectationwasthatthebodywouldalsocomeoutwiththesixth
assessmentreport(AR6)andadecisioninthisregardwouldhopefullybetakenbymember
countriesinFebruary,2015.
TheIPCCisascientificbodywhichreviewsandassessesthemostrecentscientific,technicaland
socioeconomicinformationproducedworldwiderelevanttotheunderstandingofclimate
change.Itwasestablishedin1988toprovidetheworldwithaclearscientificviewonthe
currentstateofknowledgeinclimatechangeanditspotentialenvironmentaland
socioeconomicimpacts.
Thebodyhassincethencomeoutwithfivesuccessiveassessmentreports,tellingtheglobal
communityhowhumanactivitiesareplayinghavocwithenvironmentandhowitledto
extremeweatherevents,meltingofglaciersandacidificationofoceansduetoglobalwarming.
ItwastheIPCCsecondassessmentreport(AR2)of1995thathadprovidedimportantmaterialand
keyinputstonegotiatorsintherunuptoadoptionoftheKyotoProtocolin1997.
SriLankanflyingsnake,spotted
Aflyingsnake,knowntobeendemictoSriLanka,hasbeensightedinAndhraPradesh's
Seshachalamforests,forestofficialsandresearcherssaid.
Accordingtoresearchers,thisisthefirsttimethatChrysopeleataprobanicahasbeensighted
outsidetheislandnation.
Thespecies,knowntobefoundindryzonelowlandsandpartsoftheintermediateclimaticzones
inSriLanka,wasspottedattheSeshachalamBiosphereReserveinChittoordistrict.
ItwasaboutayearagothatthespecieswasseeninChalama,acoreforestareaabout25kmfrom
thehillshrineofTirumala.
MorphologicalstudiesandDNAtestsprovedthatitwasindeedChrysopeleataprobanica,which
glidesbystretchingitsbodyintoaflattenedstrip.However,theresearchershaverevealedthis
nowafterChecklist,ajournalofbiodiversitydata,mentioneditinitslatestissue.
LowcostphonelaunchedbyICRISAT
Acustomised'lowcost'phonecumtablethasbeenlaunchedforfarmersbyHyderabadbased
InternationalCropsResearchInstitutefortheSemiAridTropics(ICRISAT).Thedevicewill
allowinformationtobepreciselytargetedatindividualfarmerswhoownsmallplotsoflandto
helpthempurchaseinputsatlowerprices,getabetterpricefortheirproduceandlinkthemto
markets,toputthemonthepathtoprosperity,ICRISATDirectorGeneralWilliamDarsaid,
whilelaunchingthedeviceon29thDecember.
ThedevicepricedatUSD299,hasbeendevelopedbyICRISAT'sCentreofExcellenceinICT
InnovationsforAgricultureincollaborationwithNUNCSystems,acitybasedcompany.
Apartfromregularphoneservices,developingworldfarmerswouldreceivefreemessagesabout
weatherandpestproblemswhilesharingthemostcompetitiveagriculturalinputsandcrop
prices.
ModipitchesforgreaterautonomytoUniversities
PrimeMinisterNarendraModion3rdJanuarypitchedforgreateracademicfreedomandautonomy
touniversitiesandsaideducationalinstitutionsmustbefreedfromtheclutchesofexcessive
regulationandcumbersomeprocedures.Speakingatthe102ndsessionoftheIndianScience
CongressattheUniversityofMumbai,Modisaidthesewererequiredtoplacetheuniversity
systematthecuttingedgeoftheresearchanddevelopmentactivitiesinthecountry.
Sayingeaseofdoingresearchwasasimportantaseaseofdoingbusiness,Modipromisedthe
scientificcommunityhewouldcutredtape.
Hestressedtheneedtomakeinvestmentinscienceandtechnologyapartofcorporatesocial
responsibilityandsaiddigitalconnectivitymustbeasmuchabasicrightasaccesstoschools.
Hesoughteffortstorevivetheromanceofscienceinsocietyandrekindletheloveforitin
children.
IndianScienceCongress
TheIndianScienceCongressAssociation(ISCA)owesitsorigintotheforesightandinitiativeof
twoBritishChemists,namely,ProfessorJ.L.SimonsenandProfessorP.S.MacMahon.It
occurredtothemthatscientificresearchinIndiamightbestimulatedifanannualmeetingof
researchworkerssomewhatonthelinesoftheBritishAssociationfortheAdvancementof
Sciencecouldbearranged.
Fromthismodestbeginningwithhundredandfivemembersandthirtyfivepaperscommunicated
forreadingatthefirstsession,ISCAhasgrownintoastrongfraternitywithmorethanten
thousandmemberstilltodate.
TheAssociationwasformedwiththefollowingobjectives:
ToadvanceandpromotethecauseofscienceinIndia
ToholdanannualcongressatasuitableplaceinIndia
Topublishsuchproceedings,journals,transactionsandotherpublicationsasmaybeconsidered
desirable.
TosecureandmanagefundsandendowmentsforthepromotionofScienceincludingtherightsof
disposingoforsellingalloranyportionofthepropertiesoftheAssociation.
Todoandperformanyorallotheracts,mattersandthingsasareconductiveto,orincidentalto,or
necessaryfor,theaboveobjects.
ThefirstmeetingoftheCongresswasheldfromJanuary1517,1914atthepremisesoftheAsiatic
Society,Calcutta,withtheHonourableJusticeSirAsutoshMukherjee,thethenViceChancellor
oftheCalcuttaUniversity,asPresident.Onehundredandfivescientistsfromdifferentpartsof
Indiaandabroadattendedandthepapersnumbering35weredividedintosixsectionsBotany,
Chemistry,Ethnography,Geology,Physics,ZoologyundersixSectionalPresidents.